Alternattiva Demokratika’s pitch for local elections: ‘People are prisoners in their own homes’

Alternattiva Demokratika has put forward nine local council and two European Parliament election candidates on a manifesto aiming to revamp Malta's inaccessible infrastructure and control unbridled development.

The party is placing the safeguarding of the urban environment as a priority in its run-up to the elections, underlining the effects of environmental disregard on various localities and the problems caused by the lack of a national strategy for transport and inadequate infrastructure on the island's roads.

The candidates were officially approved at the party's extraordinary general meeting today.

In comments to MaltaToday, AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo, who is one of the party's candidates for both the local council and European Parliament elections in May, said that he was hopeful that better progress would be made this time round when it came to the local elections.

Cacopardo acknowledged that the party's popularity rankings in the polls had not seen any major improvements in recent years, but said that the indications were encouraging when it comes to how AD will perform in the local council elections.

“I don't have huge expectations about the MEP elections, although you never know. However, we are placing our emphasis on the local councils, where I fully believe we will do well,” he said.

AD's nine candidates will be contesting the local council elections in St Julian's, Attard, Mellieha, Marsaskala, Birkirkara, Naxxar, Zebbug, Gzira and Xghajra.

Cacopardo will be contesting the local council elections in St Julian's, as well as the European elections together with fellow AD candidate Mina Tolu.

Addressing the meeting, Cacopardo highlighted the issues Malta was facing due to excessive development, lack of environmental planning, a lacklustre public transport system, and roads and pavements which had been taken over either by cars or by restaurant tables.

“St Julian's has been a victim of a large amount of development which is affecting residents badly,” he said, as he outlined several problems which plagued some of the towns where AD would be running for seats on the local councils.

“In several localities, people have become prisoners in their own homes because tables occupy the sidewalks,” he said.

“In Birkirkara, carelessness has led to problems caused by heavy rain," he said, noting how many buildings built in the last 50 years had no wells, leaving vast quantities of water on the roads after every heavy downpour. “Birkirkara is also a victim to the incompetence of the administrations throughout the years.”

Cacopardo said that the country also needed a national transport strategy, together with greater investment in public transport.

“And local infrastructure has to focus more on better accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians,” he said.

“Cars have taken over ours roads, businesses have taken over our pavements - we want them back.”

Cacopardo said AD would be urging the government to use some of the €700 million it had put aside for the resurfacing of all of Malta's roads to reconstruct pavements which were in no state for pedestrians to use.